Arabinoxylans are cell wall polysaccharides abundant in plants of the family Poaceae. The structural commonality of this class of polysaccharides is the β-(1,4) linked D-xylopyranose backbone with α-L-arabinofuranose side chains linked to O-2 and/or O-3 positions of the xylose residues. A large degree of structural heterogeneity is imparted by the presence of other sugars, including galactose, glucuronic acid, and xylose in the branches. Other non-carbohydrate compounds, such as proteins, lipids, and phenolic acids are often strongly associated or covalently linked to the polysaccharide molecules (Yadav, M. P., et al., Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 55 (3): 943-947 (2007)). The complex structure of arabinoxylans varies greatly by source, with rice and sorghum arabinoxylans having simple structures (widely distributed, single sugar arabinose branches) (Rose, D. J., et al., Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 58 (1): 493-499 (2009); Verbruggen, M. A., et al., Carbohydrate Research, 306 (1-2): 275-282 (1998)) and corn bran arabinoxylans having highly branched and very complex structures (Huisman, M. M. H., et al., Schols, Carbohydrate Polymers, 43: 269-279 (2000); Rumpagaporn, P., et al., Carbohydrate Polymers, 130: 191-197 (2015); Saulnier, L., et al., Carbohydrate Polymers, 26: 279-287 (1995)).
We have found that using an endoxylanase preparation to hydrolyze Bio-Fiber Gum (BFG), which is a commercially available corn bran arabinoxylan product, surprisingly improved the solubility of the material and also improved the clarity of the solutions. Surprisingly, the hydrolyzates of BFG had emulsifying ability that was as good as that of the original material, which is already known to have excellent emulsifying ability (Yadav, M. P., et al., Bio-based Fiber Gums (BFGs) and processes for producing BFGs, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20140017376 A1 (D.N. 0097.12); Yadav, M. P., et al., Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 56 (11): 4181-4187 (2008)). This finding is of a great significance because such functionality is very desirable in the product development context. Coupled with the surprisingly very low viscosity shown by the hydrolyzates, their emulsifying ability can potentially allow large amounts of beneficial dietary fiber to be included in food systems where emulsification is required, such as beverages, without the need for including additional emulsifying additives. The enzyme concentration used in the hydrolysis process was seen to have a surprisingly significant effect on the molecular properties and rheological behavior of the hydrolyzates.